KidsHaus

DIY: Chart it!

Over the last couple of years, we've created several crazy charts to inspire Ms. Bean to accomplish various things...potty training, teeth brushing or sleeping in her own bed. You name it and we have probably charted it! And it works! So when I saw my friend Jana's chart that she illustrated for her daughter, I loved it! A picture to inspire the task is a great idea and something that you could do together. When Britta has accumulated 20 stickers or stamps, she gets to choose a reward. (Jana's got some great crafty projects and I'm trying to convince her to share a few of them with KidsHaus someday).

Giveaway! Little Man Neck Ties

Happy Monday everyone, this is KidsHaus' first official giveaway, so start playing! Dainty Couture's Little Man Neck Ties couldn't get much more stylish and, assuming the little men out there won't be offended, also very cute. Dainty Couture is comprised of two moms who loved the quality, look and originality of boutique items, so they set out to make some great items at great prices.

I don't have boys but I can only imagine how some little men will probably love wearing a tie just like Daddy's. They've chosen some fabulous patterns so that the little guys can step out into the world, wearing their first tie, in complete style!

 
How this works: We'll select 5 winners for the Dainty Couture Little Man Neck Tie Giveaway. All you need to do is leave a comment, no anonymous comments please, from now until midnight PST on Sunday, Feb 17th. I will announce the winners on Monday morning, Feb 18th. One entry per person please! Thanks to Dainty Couture making this happen.

Lego Egg Timer

Mornings before school are always a bit of a challenge because while I'm making breakfast, packing lunches, making sure Ms. Bean is properly dressed (with socks!) and her accouterments are waiting by the door -- I've also got to make sure my husband isn't doddling or taking a 20 minute shower (he takes Ms. Bean to school every morning). I'm kind of a stickler for punctuality and my husband is not. So, being that I'm always trying to streamline and simplify processes around here, I thought of trying an egg timer on him (oddly enough, I think he'll like the idea) -- it's better than me yelling upstairs every 2 minutes. So, I stumbled upon Lego's Egg Timer. The face changes as the timer rotates...brilliant!

Windswept Photography

It was almost a year ago today that I hired Alexandra from Windswept Photography to take photographs of our li'l family (these aren't pictures of our family but Ms. Bean is on Windswept's splash page). I'd never gotten professional photographs taken and thought it would be a novel idea to give someone else control of the camera. Let me just say it was some of the best money I've spent! I Google'd into the wee hours trying to find a photographer that oozed of natural style, no stiff poses or cheesy grins. As soon as I stumbled onto Alex's site and saw her photographs of babies, I started to cry which, by the way, was the surest sign that I wanted to hire her on the spot. Alex was incredibly professional and conscientious. So, if by any chance you're in or around the Seattle area, you should consider a little session with Alex.

Kideko Bedding

I'm amazed at how much fantastic design is coming out of Australia these days. Shelley from Kideko introduced me to her company that focuses on bedding and accessories for children.  The bright graphics strike a nice balance between being bold yet not overbearing. Very nice!

Rinki - Highchair

I'm amazed at the progression of children's furniture these days. Just when you think it's been done, along comes an innovative design that makes you stop and stare. The Rinki Highchair by Seimi is one such design that converts from a stool to highchair -- growing with the child! As a consumer and parent, you've got to love stretching the lifespan of something that you've spent good money on.

MikoDesign

I love to periodically peek into MikoDesign's blog and see what she's making or doing with her girls in Holland. I'm smitten with these little screen printed underwear sets...adorable!

InModern EcoTots Art Time Easel

I love InModren's EcoTots Art Time Easel for it's simple and space-saving design. InModern is all about assembling and disassembling quickly and easily without any tools or hardware. Their furnishings are made from 100% renewable FSC Certified Smart Wood®, and are available in eco-friendly, UV finishes.

Celebration Candle Kids

I can't get over how adorable The Small Object's Celebration Candle Kids are. I may just throw a mock birthday party!

Secret Weapon: Yoga

Because it's winter and there's a major decline in outdoor activities, it can be a recipe for hyper or bored children. I've got a secret weapon and 9 times out of 10 it works like a charm...kids yoga! Before you imagine me instructing my daughter how to do downward dog, I'm happy to report that GAIAM has produced several well-made kids' yoga DVDs that keep my daughter utterly entranced. We even bought her a yoga mat. Let me tell you how cute and satisfying it is to see your child doing yoga -- there's something about it.

 

Ora Ito Desk & Chair

I've been to Terence Conran's Habitat  store a few times while in London and I have to say that it's one of my favorite stores of all time. They've got the most genius furniture and home decor. It's not fussy nor unfriendly and there's an element of surprise in a lot of their pieces. This bright red, plywood desk designed especially for Habitat by Ora Ita is a fine example of the things you would find.

Classic Wooden Rocking Vehicles

There's something about the holidays that makes me think of rocking horses. Whatever it is, I thought these beautifully crafted wooden rocking vehicles were a nice take on the traditional horse.

Playsam Wooden Toys

Swedish toy Company, Playsam, arguably makes the sleekest little wooden toys on the market! Sophisticated enough for big kids too.

10 Grain Log Rocker

10 grain is on a roll with a series of simply designed, bent plywood toys and functional decor pieces. The Log Rocker is one of those toys that struck me as a very obvious concept yet I was surprised that no one had thought of it before. I love that it can accommodate a solo kid or two rambunctious ones at the same time.

Netto Polar Bear Rocker

While on the subject of rockers, I couldn't resist mentioning the elegant and eco-friendly Polar Bear Rocker from Netto. Rufus came all the way from the Arctic Circle! What a beautiful gift this would make.

Mikodesign

Mikodesign wrote a comment on my post about Keet in Huis one day so, naturally, I checked out her lovely blog and found that she is one of those admirable women who gushes with creativity. Mikodesign is based in the Netherlands and makes fantastic bags, clothes, dress-up clothes (hint* Halloween), aprons, decorative items, toys and more.  Her beautifully crafted things are found on etsy or poppytalk handmade.  The owl underwear set is irresistable! Time to do some shopping...

Svan Wooden Scooter

I'm already one of Svan's biggest fans, so when I found that they designed a wooden scooter (to sit on), I got pretty excited. Apparently, this hit the market in 2006 but I've never seen it before so I thought I'd share the knowledge. It's such a simple design, made of bent birch wood and looks incredibly easy for a toddler to figure out. No peddles, just pushing yourself around Flintstone-style. Fun...

Jamie Irene DIY

Are you one of those knitting fanatics? I aspire to be one of those talented 'knitters' someday. My sister-in-law taught herself to knit in a month and now she's unstoppable -- churning out gorgeous sweaters, dresses and socks for my girls. Anyhow...the reason why I ask the question is because Seattle artisan, Jamie Irene, has created a line of nifty DIY knitting kits for adorable children's pillows and backpacks that would be fun to craft in time for the holidays. All necessary yarn, buttons, zipper, accessories, patterns, pillow inserts (if pillow kit), and assembly directions are included.  Check out my previous post about Jamie's fabulous line of already assembled, felted wool pillows and backpacks.

Wall Decals (again!)

What is it with my wall decal fascination, you ask? I have no idea! It came out of nowhere. All I can say is that I stumbled upon these wall decals (aka Stickers) from Kapitza out of the UK and was instantly drawn to them. They're a little more sophisticated but they would look lovely in a little girls room or any other room, for that matter.

Wall Decals

I changed my tune since I've recently discovered a few companies creating some lovely wall decals. Apple Pie Design out of Belgium is producing a line of sophisticated, simple wall decals that integrate nicely with the decor. Pink giraffe, anyone?